NINJA KNIFE THROWING

These are only a few of the possibilities. By now, the reader
has probably come up with some of his or her own ideas. Try
them out; invention and adaptation is an important part of
Ninjitsu.
The Throwing Stance
A Ninja should learn to throw knives accurately from any
position (even lying prone or hanging upside down), but
begin with the “Neko” or cat stance. The feet should form a
ninety degree angle and should be comfortably separated
one to one and a half shoulder widths apart. Most of the
weight should be centered over the rear leg. As part of the
proper throw, the weight should shift to the front leg and the
hips and shoulder should twist into the throw, rocketting the
body’s entire power into the smooth stroke of the throwing
arm. Aiming is calculated through the precise release of the
knife just before the end of the stroke, driving the weapon
with maximum force, velocity, and accuracy into the target.
A smooth follow through should be accompanied by a quick,
agile recovery-leaving the Ninja ready for the next throw.
See Photos 2.1 thru 2.4 for a depiction of the basic stance,
weight shift, follow through and recovery. Practitioners can
use this basic technique for most of the throws described in
this book, or modify the stance to suit their own needs.